Three nuns are pictured crossing St. Peter's Square on the day after the resignation announcement of Pope Benedict VXI in Rome.EPA/Massimo Percossi

NEWARK — For those hoping to change the role of women in the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI’s tenure did not inspire much hope.

During his eight years as pope, the Vatican reaffirmed the church’s ban on women priests and publicly rebuked American nuns for promoting "radical feminist" causes.

But with a new pope comes new hope.

As Benedict prepares to become the first pontiff in 600 years to voluntarily step down, reformers are advocating for the church to choose a new leader open to hearing new ideas.

"As Roman Catholics worldwide prepare for the conclave, we are reminded that the current system remains an ‘old boys club’ and does not allow for women’s voices to participate in the decision of the next leader of our church," said Erin Saiz Hanna, executive director of the Women’s Ordination Conference, a group advocating for female priests.

"The people of the church are desperate for a leader who will be open to dialogue and will have the courage to create systems that will address the sexism, exclusion and abuse in our church," she said.

Papal experts say it is unlikely the next pope will make any radical changes to church rules. The next pontiff will be chosen by the all-male College of Cardinals, whose 117 voting members were all appointed by either Benedict or his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

But reformers will be closely watching the church’s new leader for any hints of encouragement from an institution notoriously slow to change.

Supporters say giving women a greater leadership role, perhaps as deacons or priests, will strengthen the church and stem the number of Catholics abandoning the faith. Traditionalists argue it is better to have a smaller Catholic Church than one that abandons thousands of years of church teachings to hold on to parishioners.

"I think that the discussion of women is a very important one," said Sister Judith Schubert, a professor of theology, religious studies and philosophy at Georgian Court University in Lakewood.

A 21st-century pope is expected to be all over the world, speak to all cultures and take on big issues — including the role of women in the church — before a global audience, Schubert said.

Academic leaders at Georgian Court University, a Catholic college in Lakewood run by nuns, meet with female officials from Catholic Diocese of Camden to talk about ways to work together in campus. The role of women in the Catholic church is expected to be one of the issues facing the new pope after Pope Benedict XVI steps down. Russ DeSantis/For The Star Ledger

"They have to see the issues that arise and face them," Schubert said.

INCREASED ROLE

Women make up roughly half of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics and laywomen and nuns have long played an important part in local churches, schools, hospitals and colleges.

But the rise of feminism in the 1970s prompted increasing questions about why women could not be priests or hold top leadership positions in the Catholic church. Other Christian denominations, including some Episcopalian, Presbyterian and Method churches, ordain women. Female rabbis are common in some forms of Judaism.

During Pope Benedict XVI’s tenure, the Vatican took on the gender tension within the church when it stepped up oversight of American nuns.

Last year, the Vatican issued a sharply-worded report criticizing the umbrella organization that oversees 55,000 U.S. Catholic nuns, saying the group fails to speak out against abortion and the ordination of women. The nuns group also sponsored conferences featuring "certain radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith," the report concluded.

The public criticism rankled some women in religious communities, who said it overshadowed their work teaching and serving the poor. The backlash included more than a million people taking to Twitter to express their support for nuns.

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the nun’s umbrella group, called the Vatican assessment flawed. The group’s leaders eventually went to Rome to meet with Vatican leaders, though neither side changed their views.

A month after the report was issued, the pope extended an olive branch to American nuns.

"I wish to reaffirm my deep gratitude for the example of fidelity and self-sacrifice given by many consecrated women in your country," Benedict told a gathering of U.S. bishops.

A vocal group of Catholic women have been pushing for the ordination of female priests for decades without success. In a 1994 letter, Pope John Paul II listed numerous reasons why the church can never ordain women, including that Jesus chose only men to be his apostles.

Reformers hope the appointment of a new pope will at least reopen the discussions on difficult topics, especially the role of women in church leadership.

There is also hope that a new pope will advance a less controversial proposal to allow women to be deacons, a Catholic tradition that was abandoned hundreds of years ago. Deacons can not say Mass or hear confessions. But they can preach, perform baptisms and officiate at weddings.

Even if their reforms are a long shot, liberal Catholic groups plan to make their voices heard during the upcoming conclave to chose a new pope. The Women’s Ordination Conference, the group advocating for female priests, plans release pink smoke at various vigils during the conclave to remind the world that no women will be involved when the cardinals release white smoke at the Vatican to indicate they have elected the new pope.

Last week, a group of 22 Catholic reform groups also released their wish list for the newly-elected pope. In addition to permitting women more leadership roles in the church, the groups are asking for the pope to reconsider policies on priest celibacy, sexuality and contraception.

"Throughout the coming weeks, we will encourage our supporters to contact the eleven U.S. cardinals who will represent the United States during the conclave to share our hopes for renewed leadership," according to coalition.

Whatever you think of his views, Pope Benedict XVI deserves praise for showing the grace and humility to pass on power to someone else, said Sister Mary-Paula Cancienne, a nun and a professor of theology at Georgian Court.

"The church does ask bishops to resign at a certain age," said Cancienne, a Sister of Mercy. "I think he sees the wisdom in making room for some other people in leadership in the church."